1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a software-based multimedia authoring application and particularly to a method for manipulating multiple multimedia objects within a multimedia production, which has a graphic user interface more user-friendly than a conventional one.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A graphical image manipulation computer program, such as Ulead Photo Impact or Adobe Photoshop 4.0, may store a graphical image as a set of image layers. Such a program builds a final image by compositing the image layers together.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional graphical image document 1 includes a set of image layers, denoted as layers L1, 2, . . . , Ln, organized in a layer stack. For example, the image layer L1 typically includes an image 11 and compositing controls 12. The compositing controls 12 may include a global opacity 12a and a transfer mode 12b. The global opacity 12a controls, in essence, the transparency of the entire image layer L1, whereas the transfer mode determines how the colors in the image layer L1 mix with the colors accumulated from the underlying layers. The compositing controls may also be considered to include dynamic masks.
Additionally, a multimedia production may be stored as a set of layers. FIG. 2 shows an animation with dynamic images and sounds. The animation comprises four multimedia objects which are a fixed rectangle 21, a fixed wall 22 and two moving balls 23a and 23b. Their interactions is explained below.
1. Graphical Interaction
A. The fixed rectangle 21 has the greatest depth of field among the other image. It is always covered where the fixed rectangle 21 overlaps with any one of the images of the other three objects.
B. The depths of field of the wall 22 and balls 23a and 23b are the same. When the balls 23a and 23b bump into the wall 22, off of which they will rebound. This makes the motion of the balls 23a and 23b bounded by the wall 22 and their images will never meet.
2. Sound Interaction
A. The fixed rectangle 21 has no sound interaction with the others.
B. A bumping sound effect is given off when any one of the balls bumps into the wall 22.
According to the above interactions of the four objects, the animation can be stored as a set of three layers L1, L2 and L3.
The fixed rectangle 21 is stored alone in the layer L1 because it graphically interacts with all the others.
The fixed wall 22 is also stored alone in the layer L2 because it interacts with the fixed rectangle 21 in image, and the balls 23a and 23b in sound.
Since the two balls 23a and 23b interact with each other in neither image nor sound (they never bump into each other and no sound effect is given off), i.e. they are independent from each other, they are both stored in the layer L3.
Conventionally, when editing or authoring the above image document or animation using a software-based multimedia authoring application, such as Adobe Photoshop, users select the layer to be accessed through another select window or menu graphically independent from a main window (workspace). Besides, the objects of the selected layer are displayed in the same way as those of the other layers not selected. The users can easily confuse the objects in the different layers. Furthermore, editing of the objects in the other unselected layers is accessible through a simple right-click. Thus, users are also subject to mistakenly moving to the other layers.
The object of the present invention is to provide a software-based multimedia authoring application with a graphic user interface making it easier for users to associate objects with layers.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method for manipulating multiple multimedia objects in a computer. The method comprises the steps of: storing a multimedia production as a set of layers with each layer having objects independent from each other, displaying a plurality of tabs, each of which refers to a page displaying the contents of a layer and allowing edition of that content, selecting one or more of the tabs, and displaying the page referred to by the selected tab and the contents of the constituent layer.
The present invention further provides a computer program, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for manipulating multiple multimedia objects. The computer program comprises instructions for causing a computer to store a multimedia production as a set of layers, each of which having objects independent from each other, display a plurality of tabs, each of which refers to a page displaying the contents of a layer and allowing edition of that content, select one of the tabs, and display the page referred to by the selected tab and the objects of the layer marked on the selected tab upon the displayed page.
In the present invention, a notebook-like interface is provided by the tabs marked with the layers and pages referred thereto. Users select the layers as they would tabbed sections of a paper notebook. Thus, the interface is more easily used.